Assessing China's impact in the West, Silicon Dragon is hosting a well-timed tech innovation and venture capital conference in Los Angeles, July 29-30, at the Pasadena Convention Center. The program explores LA's increasing links to China with talks by leading venture capitalists, tech and entertainment entrepreneurs and executives. The venue is just steps away from Alibaba's new base in Pasadena.

Silicon Dragon's LA program features two keynote speakers from powerful Chinese companies that have recently launched in California: Stella Li, president and CEO of BYD Motors, and J.D. Howard, general manager of LETV. Shenzhen-based BYD is the Warren Buffet-invested electric vehicle maker and Beijing-based LETV is an online streaming service and smartphone maker.

A venture capital panel addresses the boom in startup funding and valuations, and China's rise as a tech leader as Chinese brands go global. Speakers include Jim Robinson of RRE Ventures, backer of many winning U.S. and Chinese startups, and Marc van der Chijs of CrossPacific Capital, co-founder of Chinese video sharing site Tudou.

The conference also features a market sector outlook on mobile payments and chats with founders of LA companies that are profiting by expanding in China -- Elemoon, Broadvision Entertainment and TeleSign.

Expecting to draw 200 participants, the forum brings together leaders from Chinese and American companies, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and the startup ecosystem for discussions about capitalizing on cross-border Chinese and U.S. business opportunities. Participants will gain insights on how to raise financing and develop strategies to succeed in China.

Founded in 2010 by author and journalist Rebecca Fannin, Silicon Dragon is a news, events and research group covering innovation and investment hubs in Silicon Valleys around the world. Known for its series of tech and investment forums in Asia, the U.S. and Europe, Silicon Dragon also publishes the e-newsletter Silicon Dragon News and thought leadership reports. www.silicondragonventures.com